Zarathustra and Transhumanism: Man is Something to Be Overcome

Authors

Keywords

Transhumanism, Nietzsche

Abstract

In Sorgner's 2009 paper "Nietzsche, the Overhuman, and Transhumanism", he argues, contra Bostrom, that the transhumanist movement's postman is fundamentally similar to Nietzsche's overman. In this paper, Sorgner's thesis is challenged. It is argued that transhumanism, as presented both popularly and academically, is fundamentally incompatible with Nietzsche's overman, as presented in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. This argument focuses on three significant characteristics's of Zarathustra's description of the overman: the role of earthly existence, immortality, and the rejection of collective values.

References

“Nietzsche, the Overman, and Transhumanism”, Stefan Lorenz Sorgner, Journal of Evolution and Technology, Vol. 20, Iss. 1, Mar 2009, reproduced at http://jetpress.org/v20/sorgner.htm

https://futurism.com/kurzweil-claims-that-the-singularity-will-happen-by-2045

https://singularityhub.com/2016/04/19/ray-kurzweil-predicts-three-technologies-will-define-our-future/#sm.0010i31jm1435es9zm11e2vnoovpj

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/13/elon-musk-humans-merge-machines-cyborg-artificial-intelligence-robots.html

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/elon-musk-humans-must-become-cyborgs

https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15077864/elon-musk-neuralink-brain-computer-interface-ai-cyborgs

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2106070/immortality-silicon-valleys-latest-obsession

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/02/george-church-indicates-reversal-of.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4747174/Transhumanism-lead-immortality-elite.html

https://www.npr.org/2018/10/22/658808705/thousands-of-swedes-are-inserting-microchips-under-their-skin

“Transhumanist Values”, Nick Bostrom, Review of Contemporary Philosophy, Vol. 4, May 2005, reproduced at https://nickbostrom.com/ethics/values.pdf

Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche, ed. George Stade, trans. Clancy Martin, (Barnes & Noble Books: New York, New York), 2005

Scientia et Fides

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Published

2019-09-26

How to Cite

1.
MERLO, Joshua. Zarathustra and Transhumanism: Man is Something to Be Overcome. Scientia et Fides. Online. 26 September 2019. Vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 41-61. [Accessed 4 July 2025].

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2019): Transhumanism

Section

Articles

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